Tea with McNair

• covered in dust

  9/11 Again, Again

[Photo: Edward Keating/New York Times]

Where we you, when they raised the price of freedom?
Where were you when our family disappeared?
Are you glad you weren’t there?
Did you lose a friend that day?
Are you as changed today as you felt on that Tuesday or did you change your mind?
We all changed our minds, but did it last?
Are the changes we now live with making our lives safer, better?
Will we need to change more and are we willing to make the toughest changes?
Do you like taking off your shoes at the airport and not carrying water or shampoo?
Is that worth being safer in the air?
Are we?
What cost Freedom?
What price Liberty?
We are willing to let others die in far away places, that we’ll never see--Fallujah and Takrit--so why do we whine about having our library records examined?
And...Do you know that to date NO ONE has had their library habits looked into by the government? (This according to a study be Sen. Diane Feinstein, Democrat, CA.)
Do you know that the "bad guys" have hated us forever? Did you know they called President Clinton “Satan”?
(All he did was blow up their aspirin factory.)
What have YOU done since 9/11, 2001?
What will you do?
Have you changed?

[Photo: Shannon Stapleton/Rueters]

Watching TV that morning, I saw a man in a suit and tie, carrying his briefcase, come out of the great fog that was the dust storm of the fallen Towers. He walk right up to a news crew and said, “There’s a reason why my life was spared and I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to find that reason.”
Did you hear him?
Do you know the reason he was spared?

Are you aware that the reason for his life has been the same since the day he was born.
So, too, there’s a reason you were born--did you know that?
There’s a contribution your life can make. Are you ready to make that commitment?
Are you ready to be a contribution?
Will it take an attack on your life to get your attention ?
Are you aware that whatever your circumstances, you are NOT covered in dust?
What, then, will your contribution be?
You can make a small change today and a bit more tomorrow.
Did you know that if you pick one area of your life to expand on, to improve on, just 1 % a day, that in 70 days you will be twice as good as you are now?
If you haven't started the change you wanted to make, you can start now. You know it's only too late if you don't start today?

[Photo: Alex Fuchs/AFP] 

Did you know it took three months to completely extinguish the fires at Ground Zero?
Did you know they never even discussed not finishing the job?
Can you, today, brush off the dust on your imagination and start making your contribution?

Did you know the rest of us need you to that--now?

To see more photos like these, visit LIFE GOES ON:9/11 on line photo essay.

McNair

    {Originally posted here on Tea With McNair, September 2006}

> who are you?

                 I Have a Few Questions, Well, 52

[Suggested Instructions: Read the questions. Think of ONE new question for the survey and post it (one question) in the comments section for me to answer. Copy and answer all questions for yourself. Email them (along with your new question) to as many friends as you like. You need NOT put your entire list in the comments section of this post. Thanks for stopping by for a bit of "Tea with..."]

                                                                                  { Click on any photo to enlarge }

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
First Name: Craig was for Minnie D. Craig, friend of my paternal grandparents (the Wilson’s.) Mrs. Craig was elected to the state legislature of North Dakota and made history on 3 January 1933 when she was elected Speaker of the House, the first time a women had led a legislature in the USA. There’s a good article on “Min” on Wikipedia.  Interestingly, "Min" had polio and wore a clunky brace on her leg. I have one photo of me with her, that I know of. She died in 1966.

My middle name McNair was my Father’s father, Clarence McNair Wilson. I began using “McNair” as my first name when, in about 1998 I discover (in a book of Irish names) that it means “son of” (Mc) “the servant” (Nair.)

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Watching Peter O’Toole in the film Venus --last week on DVD. Stop reading and go get it.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yup. All twenty seven versions.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?   Mesquite smoked turkey.

5. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? (Guess)

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes. I hope I'd like me.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? I use all the colors in the linguistic paint box. (Profanity least of all. It is the black paint of language--a little goes a long way.)

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Do you have a mirror, I'll check.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Sure. Later.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Steel cut oatmeal. Cold cereal: Grape Nuts Flakes

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Only the right one.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Moderately.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Mint chocolate chip.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Personal style, or lack thereof and energy.

15. RED OR PINK? Red, never pink--well, rarely.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?  Weight. (I guess I am an over achiever at just about everything.)

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Both parents.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Most won’t. I’ll post it on my blog and see what happens. Love to have people add one question in the comment section for me to answer.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Dark khaki bush shorts and bare feet.

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? My morning smoothie (strawberries, blue berries, plain-low-fat yogurt, 2% milk, protein powder, whole banana, ice cubes, and a dash of Cinnamon. 

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Luciano Pavarotti (RIP)

22. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Not yet.

23. FAVORITE SMELL? Baking bread, and certain perfumes I will not mention at this time.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE  PHONE? My friend Susan (left), calling from New York. She's doing a workshop back there based on her new book on writing--it is going to be great! (I had a peek.)

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Enormously! (Thanks, JBJ)

26. SHOWER OR BATH? Hot shower

27. HAIR COLOR? Mine: Salt & pepper. My beard is a sort of chocolate vanilla swirl. In others I am drawn to redheads (female) and raven haired brunettes.

28. EYE COLOR? Mine are blue, both of them. 

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No, bifocals. Can you tell? 

30. FAVORITE FOOD? Sushi, red wine, dark chocolate

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Espionage thrillers. (Bourne, Bond, et al.)

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Tristram Shandy (wonderful!)

33. WHAT COLOR OF SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Purple

34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Yes. Summer for daylight savings time’s glistening evenings, Winter for cozy cuddling--call me.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?  Yes. (see above, No. 35)

36. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Women's curling. (see photo)

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Prof. Nutter, in the bank, with the fountain pen.

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Substitute teacher Hilary.

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination by Neal Gabler....and... ZAG (don't ask, just grab it.)

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Retro 1950s gas station attendant. But mostly I use the track pad on my MacBook.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? I went to a play SWEENEY TODD, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (my favorite musical--Stephen Sondheim-- performed by only ten actors who also were the orchestra, on stage! Soon to be on film with Johny Depp, directed by Tim Burton! ) Later, at home, on TV, I watched a bit too much news: debates and Fred Thompson on Leno. (Ho, hum.)

[Photo, left, is from New York production of this new mounting of Sweeney Todd.]

42. FAVORITE SOUND? Running water (stream, waterfall, ocean) and hearty laughter.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles, by a long shot--artistry, innovation, melodies, harmony, musicality. 

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? The ruins in the Baalbeck Valley, east of Beruit, Lebanon. (see Baalbeck ruins, right. Click to enjoy.)

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Drawing, acting, the arts. . . 

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? North Western Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? The first one.

48. WHAT IS YOUR MIDDLE NAME? McNair (see No. 1, above.)

49. IF YOU COULD CHANGE YOUR NAME (NOT INCLUDING YOUR LAST NAME), WHAT WOULD IT BE? My father’s first pick for my first name was Winston as he was a history buff and a Churchill fan. Think of it, Winston McNair Wilson. Sounds like the stuck up rich kid in a bad Adam Sandler movie. Are there good Adam Sandler movies. I like my name just as it is, always have.

50. WHAT IS YOUR ALL TIME FAVORITE MOVIE??? Citizen Kane, no contest. I saw it in junior high school before I was told it was a classic, and was fascinated by it. I got even more drawn in when I learned that Orson Welles  was twenty-six years young when he directed and starred in it. (Orson Welles as Charles Foster Kane, right)

51. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DRINK?? Red wine--earthy and dry, or on the spicy side. No.2, Hot Chocolate

52. What question do you think reveals an interesting facet about a person? Add it in the comment section and I'll answer it––maybe, okay, probably.

       McNair